


Taking the High Road

by Data_HEX



Series: Draucor Server Prompts [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive
Genre: Gen, Hard talks, confronting your feelings, loss of friendships, mental health, poor decisions, rated mature for use of swearing, self reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24913534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Data_HEX/pseuds/Data_HEX
Summary: “I was hoping I’d find you here.” A stern voice pulled him from his thoughts and Libertus looked up to find the Marshal, Cor Leonis. As he was about to get up, Cor waved him off and sat next to him. “I hear you’ve signed up for a lot of wall duty. So much that no one else really needs to be on the wall from the Glaive ranks.”Libertus shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”Cor raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “I know I’m not exactly privy to how the Glaives operate. From what I’ve seen though, you sitting here ruminating on things isn’t like you Ostium.”
Series: Draucor Server Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705510
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	Taking the High Road

**Author's Note:**

> They recently opened up the prompts to the entirety of the Glaives and not just Cor/Titus. 
> 
> Prompt words:  
> * Friendship  
> * Healthy Coping Mechanisms  
> * Mental Health  
> * Misinformation  
> * Poison  
> * True Colours  
> * Realisations  
> * Cowardice  
> * Maturity  
> * Destruction  
> * Self-sabotage

Libertus sat on the edge of the wall and looked out over the vast land surrounding Insomnia. 

This was the third time on wall duty this week, opting to take the extra shifts on purpose. It was quiet, most of the Guard left him alone except to make some small talk, leaving him with his thoughts. 

Normally at this hour he would be sitting with the others at the bar, eating skewers and joking about what stupidity they had gotten into. This evening, as many evenings this past month however, he has been alone. Either on the wall, walking the streets of Insomnia, or laying in his bed. 

Libertus was too proud to admit to others that he was being childish, even though he knew he was. A falling out had occurred within the ranks of the Glaives, and they seemed split unevenly. Nyx’s group, and Libertus’s group, if you could call it that. He’d even made a few new friends in the Guard, after realizing that they aren’t any different from the Glaives at the end of the day. 

“I was hoping I’d find you here.” A stern voice pulled him from his thoughts and Libertus looked up to find the Marshal, Cor Leonis. As he was about to get up, Cor waved him off and sat next to him. “I hear you’ve signed up for a lot of wall duty. So much that no one else really needs to be on the wall from the Glaive ranks.”

Libertus shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

Cor raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “I know I’m not exactly privy to how the Glaives operate. From what I’ve seen though, you sitting here ruminating on things isn’t like you Ostium.”

Libertus snorted. Like Leonis knew much about the Glaives. _what if he does though?_ he shook his head and sighed. 

“It’s nothing, really. Gives me time to think.” Libertus looked back out as a pensive look fell across his face. 

A slightly uncomfortable silence fell between the two men before Libertus turned to face the Marshal. “Was there an actual reason why you came here tonight? You don’t make ‘house calls’ Marshal, so what gives?” 

Cor chuckled lightly. “Drautos asked me to come and see what was going on. Even he thought it was odd you signed up for so much wall duty, but after he told me what happened, to me it made sense. So I agreed to come find you, and talk.” 

“Oh yeah? And what exactly did he tell you? Because I can guarantee that you only got part of the story.” Libertus scowled at the man. He knew who the Captain’s favorites were, and he definitely wasn’t one of them. There was always a chance of stories getting misconstrued as they’re told.

“Just that there was a falling out between you and a few others. He’s seen the ripple effect on both sides. The shifts in all parties involved, and since you seem to be pulling yourself away from the Glaives, he hasn’t been able to speak to you directly.”

“Oh…” Libertus went quiet as he looked at Cor before he shifted his gaze to his lap. “Well… Yeah. There was. A lot of miscommunication, and lack of communication. A lot of hurt feelings on both sides. It ended a mess.” 

Libertus took a deep breath as he fiddled with a string on the hem on his jacket. “Just when you think you know someone… I guess time changes a person.”

“Time changes everyone though, so that’s not a good excuse.”

Libertus opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. Leonis was right. Even Libertus could see that he’s changed over the years, and he wasn’t the same man he was in Galahd, and it was a silly notion to expect anyone else around him to stay the same people they used to be either.

“So, from your side, what happened?” Cor asked quietly.

Libertus stayed quiet for a moment, mulling over what to say. “I fucked up. A few missions went awry. I struggled to keep myself together. I pulled away from some of those closest to me but at the same time I became obsessed with things, people. I lumped them together as a unit instead of singularly. We were a family, weren’t we? At least I thought. Things kept happening, jealousy bloomed.” 

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “None of our mental healths were that great, but I couldn’t seem to get myself to get the help I needed, and I let it fester. The anxiety and depression was overwhelming, and I just dumped my problems until it blew up in my face.”

“I wrote them letters, setting myself up for failure I suppose. I tried explaining things again, as I have in the past like a broken record, apologizing for things that I had done and that hadn’t actually occurred. That was the last straw for them. They each replied very similarly, and they all kind of walked away at the same time. The thing is, some of them even said that they should have brought up the issues they had with me, and never did. I can’t take fault for everything falling apart when no one was willing to tell me the entire truth. Bits and pieces don’t help.”

Libertus leaned back on his hands and stared at the sky. “At the end of this all, I was never mad at them. Ever. Upset and sad, yes. Perhaps a little bitter over things that were said and done afterwards which led to some petty behavior on my end. But I still cared, and I guess a part of me still does. All I wanted was for them to be happy, ya know? As happy as one can be putting their lives on the line.”

Cor hummed softly as he went over everything Libertus had told him.

“Sometimes, Libertus, you have to take the high road and move on, even though it takes two people to build up and equally destroy a relationship. You apologized for the misgivings at first. That doesn’t necessarily excuse what happened before, during or after, but you owned up to your problems. You can’t control what they do or don’t do with any of the information given to them.” Cor said quietly, looking out across the land. 

_Take the high road…._ 

“Yeah, but I was petty. I said some stupid shit afterwards and….”

Cor cut him off. “You’re only human. So are they, and they’ve been petty as well. You’re still going to make mistakes. The problem here is you’re still stewing in them and letting them control your life instead of facing them head on. Does it hurt? Yes. It likely hurts like a bitch, but once you push past that hurt it gets better. It also makes working with them easier. You can’t keep hiding here on the wall. Drautos will eventually confront you, and you will have to make a choice of either to stay with the Glaives or leave.”

Libertus frowned, and shifted uncomfortably next to him. It wasn’t the greatest feeling knowing he was right. Why was the Marshal always right? 

“I know. I mean… I am in therapy now. It’s basic stuff, but it’s helped cut down on the anxiety. Giving me much better coping mechanisms, but there’s a lot to work on… But you’re right. Why is it that whenever we talk, Marshal, you always seem to be right?”

Cor laughed lightly. “I’ve been through similar things in my lifetime, and I’ve watched others go through similar things. Because of that experience, I’m beginning to wonder. Just how much of the blame are you still putting on yourself? Like I said, it takes two people to build and destroy a relationship.”

“If I’m honest? A lot of it, even though I know I’m not entirely to blame. Many things happened over the course of a few months on both sides, things that piled on top of each other until it became the mess that it is now.” 

Libertus paused to think over everything that had happened up until this point. Thinking of past conversations, letters, phone calls. How much had really fallen apart between all of them. _I may never know exactly where we went wrong_

“You know, before I got into therapy, I had been told that even if I were to get help, it wouldn’t amount to much because of how wrapped up I am in my problems.” Libertus snorted. “And once I got into therapy, I was told a ‘Good job! Hope it helps!’ right before they walked away. I’d like to think it was genuine, but I just don’t know anymore. I’d like to prove to myself that I can get better. That I’m worth the time and effort it takes to heal. Maybe leaving the Glaives is what’s best, but only time will tell.”

Cor nods, giving the man a small smile. “I think everyone is worth healing, and taking on a path that’s better for their life. Just remember that you should do things for you going forward, and not anyone else. So if you get to a point where leaving the Glaives is the best option for you, then do it, but don’t leave because of other people.”

Libertus hummed in response, and silence blanketed them once more. As Libertus looked at the sky, he chuckled softly. “Thank you, Marshal. I really appreciate you coming and talking to me, even if it was Drautos who asked you to do it. It’s helped put a few things into perspective. I know things will never go back to how they used to be, but I hope in time they will be okay, or at least we all can be adults and treat each other like adults again one day.”

“Only you can make the choice to act like an adult, Lib, but I think you’ll be alright. And if you ever need to talk, you know where my office is.” Cor patted him on the shoulder again, before he got up and left, leaving Libertus alone again with his thoughts. 

“Brothers till the end eh? Maybe not, but I don’t wish ill will on you or anyone else...” he said softly to no one. Just saying it to the wind made Libertus feel a little better. Maybe one day he will confront them in person, say his final piece knowing it likely won’t change anything, but it would be said to their faces and they would know.

Until then, Libertus would sit on the wall and find the courage to push on for himself.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thanks for reading!
> 
> I realize that this may seem a bit OOC for Libertus and Cor. But when I tried to write it from anyone elses POV, it just didn't work. It didn't fit the character, especially if you look at how Libertus is in the movie. I liked writing him with "real world issues", showing that he is, in fact, human, fucks up and makes mistakes


End file.
